AUDIO: Lottery scam in Minnesota

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Jul 14, 2014 at 10:00 am

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (KNSI) State Lottery officials are warning Minnesotans about a scam that is targeting previous winners.

Lottery Director Ed Van Petten says the scam artists are contacting players and says they've won five-million dollars in a "second chance drawing." But the catch is, they have to send money in the form of a gift card in order to claim their prize.

Van Petten says, "no legitimate lottery will never ask a player or a winner to send money. That is the biggest red flag of all."

He says they believe the scam artists are geting information on previous winners from the State Lottery website.. Because of that, Van Petten says they are no longer posting the last name of lottery winners on their website--only a last initial--to, "protect our players."

Van Petten says he knows of, "three or four people" in Minnesota who've already fallen victim to the scam.